Over my several decades working as a Functional Medicine doctor, I can assure you that even in the toughest cases, you can heal your thyroid. With some patients, I can do this through the dietary, nutrient, and lifestyle factors I’ve discussed here. For others, that healing requires trial and error using several medications and working closely with a physician.
Pill Systems: Natural ingredients combined together to help maintain the functioning of the thyroid gland are available in the form of pill systems. A thyroid supplement called 'thyromine' is used to increase production, thereby combating hypothyroidism. Thyromine supplements are made from natural and herbal ingredients, such as Nori (seaweed rich in iodine) and thyroid bovine powder (maintains functioning of endocrine system).
Dr. George Springer has practiced alternative medicine for 31 years with an emphasis on treating chronic disease conditions. He received his undergraduate BA from the University of Missouri in St. Louis and his Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from Logan University where he graduated magna cum laude. He went on to receive his Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.M.D.) from the American Naturopathic Medical Institute a division of Breyer State University in Los Angeles, California.
In fact, more and more people with hypothyroidism are turning to holistic care, as many people are simply sick and tired of covering up their symptoms by taking thyroid hormone medication. While there are some great endocrinologists and medical doctors out there who are trying to help their patients the best that they can, just about all of these healthcare professionals are trained to treat conditions through the use of drugs and surgery. And while this sometimes is necessary, many times there are other options. Although symptom management is without question important, just think about how great it would feel if you were able to fully restore your thyroid health back to normal through a natural hypothyroid treatment protocol, and not have to rely on taking synthetic or natural thyroid hormone for the rest of your life.
A diet low in nutrient-rich foods, especially in iodine and selenium (which are trace minerals crucial for thyroid function), increases the risk for thyroid disorders. The thyroid gland needs both selenium and iodine to produce adequate levels of thyroid hormones. And these nutrients also have other protective roles in the body; for example, severe selenium deficiency increases the incidence of thyroiditis because it stops activity of a very powerful antioxidant known as glutathione which normally controls inflammation and fights oxidative stress.
Do a little Googling, and you might turn up a page or two claiming that cruciferous vegetables can cause thyroid troubles. The truth is a little murkier. While it's true that these veggies contain compounds called glucosinolates, which might interfere with your body's production of thyroid hormones in high amounts, it's pretty unlikely that they'll harm your thyroid if you're eating normal-size servings. One case report in the New England Journal of Medicine highlighted the story of an 88-year-old woman who showed up to the ER with hypothyroidism after eating about 2 or 3 pounds of bok choy a day—but, as Ilic points out, "that's not a normal amount."
Refined Flour Products – Any food made with refined carbohydrates, like enriched wheat flour, for example, negatively impacts hormone levels and can contribute to weight gain. Refined flour products include bread, cereals, pastas and all baked goods. If possible, remove most grains from your diet all together, or at least try to greatly limit the amount of products you eat that are made with any flour by choosing 100 percent whole, ancient grains instead (like quinoa, buckwheat, etc.)
Thyroid hormones regulate cholesterol synthesis, cholesterol receptors, and the rate of cholesterol degradation. Hypothyroidism increases LDL levels, and increased cholesterol levels have been shown to induce hypothyroidism in animal models. Normalization of thyroid hormone levels has a beneficial effect on cholesterol, which may be worth noting especially for clients who choose not to take prescribed thyroid medications.7
Hypothyroidism is a disease which causes the thyroid gland to become underactive and not making enough thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland is located in the front lower part of your neck. Hormones released by the gland affect nearly every part of the human body including heart, brain, muscles, and skin. The thyroid controls the metabolism, which affects the body temperature, heartbeat and also regulates the calorie burn. When the body is unable to produce enough thyroid hormone, it causes the metabolism to slow down and hence, the body makes less energy and gain more weight.
Thyroid disease presents unique challenges due to undesired weight changes, significant cardiovascular risks, and symptoms such as fatigue, mood changes, and gastrointestinal upset, which can hinder the development of healthful behaviors. It’s vital that dietitians focus on setting realistic goals for heart-healthy changes and regular exercise when counseling clients. With so many potential nutrient deficiencies and interactions with medications and supplements, it will be important for dietitians to coordinate with their clients’ healthcare team for optimal health outcomes.

– Gluten. Gluten is compound of glutein and gliadin proteins. Gliadin’s molecular structure is similar to the thyroid gland, so when the inmune system tags it for destruction not only destroys the protein gliadin but also attacks the thyroid tissue affecting the secretion of the thyroid hormone. The gluten from refined flour is much worse than gluten coming from natural sources as whole barley or oats.

Hi, Dawn: Yes, there’s definitely a TON of conflicting information out there. When it comes to cruciferous vegetables and the thyroid, it’s all about raw veggies, not cooked. Raw cruciferous veg contains a compound called goitrogens, which might impact thyroid function by impairing thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme normally found in the thyroid gland. I don’t think this means that you should NEVER eat a single serving of raw cruciferous veggies if you have thyroid issues. But just that you shouldn’t overdo it and eat raw daily. Hope that helps!
*In the years prior to the discovery of peripheral T4-to-T3 conversion, most groups recommended treatment with natural thyroid preparations, such as desiccated thyroid, thyroid extract, or thyroglobulin, which contain both T4 and T3. However with the discovery of T4-to-T3 conversion and the development of the radioimmunoassay for TSH in the early 1 970s, not only was there a trend toward l-thyroxine monotherapy, but the recommended daily maintenance doses decreased significantly. These trends led to the adoption of the contemporary standard of care: l-thyroxine monotherapy administered at doses to maintain a normal serum TSH level.
The main job of the thyroid gland is to combine the salt iodine with the amino acid tyrosine to make thyroid hormone. Whenever the thyroid gland has a hard time making enough thyroid hormone, it becomes stressed and grows bigger to try to do its job better, forming a “goiter” (enlarged thyroid). Substances that interfere with normal thyroid function are called “goitrogens” because they have the potential to cause goiter.
Medications that are used to treat an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may cause hypothyroidism. These drugs include methimazole (Tapazole) and propylthiouracil (PTU). The psychiatric medication, lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), is also known to alter thyroid function and cause hypothyroidism. Interestingly, drugs containing a large amount of iodine such as amiodarone (Cordarone), potassium iodide (SSKI, Pima), and Lugol's solution can cause changes in thyroid function, which may result in low blood levels of thyroid hormone.
If you have been diagnosed with both hypothyroidism and iodine deficiency, there are some things you can do to make these vegetables less harmful. Cooking them can reduce the effect that cruciferous vegetables have on the thyroid gland, and limiting your intake of these (cooked) vegetables to 5 ounces a day may help as well, since that amount appears to have no adverse effect on thyroid function.

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Please Note: The material on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.